Chapter 39 — The Abyss

In the Buddhist cultivation of the true way, greater weight is placed upon the realization of one's own nature than in the Daoist school. Zhang Qingyue had cultivated the Great Brahma Prajna for five years; though his cultivation was still shallow, the firmness of the foundation of his meridians within his body, as he day and night cultivated the two supreme true dharmas of Buddhism and Daoism, far surpassed that of young disciples of the same sect at the same level of cultivation. It was for this reason that when he took the full brunt of the Demonic Sect fiend's heavy blow, the Taiji Xuanqing Dao shielded him for one layer and the Great Brahma Prajna for another, and only so did he chance to survive.

The two of them rose. Zhang Qingyue called the Black Iron Staff back into his hand, and its dark blue-green radiance spread out to encircle their two figures. Lu Xueqi pondered briefly, then pointed in the direction opposite the water, and the two of them set off into the depths of the endless darkness.

How long they walked, they did not know. This direction seemed to have no end at all; after a long while they were still walking upon the open empty ground, and here beneath the Abyss of the Dead, apart from being astonishingly vast, there was not the slightest sign of any living thing.

There were only the spirits that fluttered and drifted about them, still greedily clinging to the taste of flesh and blood, floating soundlessly up and down.

The farther Zhang Qingyue and Lu Xueqi walked, the graver their expressions grew, and at the same time they felt the yin energy around them like a tide. And Zhang Qingyue now felt only his qi and blood surging, with waves of dizziness coming over him. In truth, though his foundation was firm, his cultivation was after all not high, and having taken the blows of Elder Nian, the Wild Wolf Daoist, and Liu Hao all at once, the damage to the meridians within his body was still very great.

After a moment Lu Xueqi noticed that something was wrong with Zhang Qingyue, and said in surprise, "What is the matter with you?"

Zhang Qingyue forced a smile. "I am fine. Let us go."

Lu Xueqi glanced at him. "Do you need to res—"

Before the word "rest" had left her mouth, she saw Zhang Qingyue's body suddenly sway, then go slack, and he collapsed. And the Black Iron Staff in his hand, with his falling body, swiftly dimmed.

Lu Xueqi was greatly startled and hastily caught hold of him. Her hands met an icy cold, and she was shocked to find that Zhang Qingyue had already fainted. In that instant, she who was renowned among her fellow disciples for her surpassing calm, felt a trace of panic.

Then she thought of another, even more terrible problem.

The Black Iron Staff had ceased to work. What then could hold off the countless spirits around them?

Almost at the very moment Lu Xueqi thought of this, the countless spirits around them, giving off their faint white glow, seemed to pause as well; and then, before them stood two living bodies of flesh and blood, without the least defense.

In the darkness, it was as if countless voices laughed wildly in triumph and roared with fury all at once; countless spirits seemed to congeal in midair for a moment, and then, like ravenous beasts, they rushed at these two helpless people standing in the dark.